Game



D. FISHER Dec. 1. l925- GAME Filed Aug. 29. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MOM L l 3 y @Awe 55mg] FIL-"har @wwf/0 vue@- Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

UNITED STATES isteria PATENT oFFicE.

DANIELFISHER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 THE ALDAN CO., A CO- PARTNERSHIP, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

GAME.

Application filed August 29, 1924. Serial No. 734,906.

To all whom t may concern: v

Be it known that I, DANIEL FISHER, a` citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Games, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in games and refers more particularly toa miniature bowling game.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a miniature bowling game having simple and efficient means for accurately setting the pins thereof in playing position.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a pin setting device for a miniature bowling game which is normally held in a raised position out of the way of the alley and adapted to have the pins placed therein while in such raised position and' then lowered to automatically release the pins to their proper positions upon the setting device commg to rest on the inner end of the alley.

.It is a further object of this invention to provide a pin setting device for a miniature bowling game in which the Asetting device is moved from lowered, pin setting position to its normally yinactive position and maintained substantially horizontal throughout its movement until it reaches its uppermost position when the same is inclined to cause the pin holding mechanism to move by gravity to a position securing the pins therein.

And a still further object of this invention resides in the provislon of a immature bowl- 'ing game of the character described which is cal embodiment of my invention constructed according to t-he bestl mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top lan view of a miniature bowlino' game em odying my invention, parts thereof being broken away; l

Figure 2 is a side plan View of my improved game illustrating the same as in collapsed or folded position;

Figure 3 is a View taken transversely through the inner end of the bowling alley on the plane of t-he line 3--3 of Figure l, and illustrating'the pin setting device as in its upper-most inactive position with the pins therein ready to be lowered to set the pins in proper position for playing at the inner end of the alley;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the pin setting device, said view being taken on the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

' Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating the pin setting device in its lowermost position about to be again raised to leave the pins on the alley inner end in their proper position.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numerals 5 and 6 designate the inner and outer sections, respect-ively, of my improved miniature game which are connected at their adjacent ends by hinges 7 to permit their being extended to form a continuous alley or folded, as illustrated in Figure 2, with the section 6 under the section 5 to thus occupy a minimum amount of space.

The sections 5 and 6 are correspondingly grooved or channeled along their side edges to provide the conventional gutters 8 between which the alley proper or playing surface 9 is located. Rubber pads or other resilient members 10 may be secured to the under-faces of the sections to provide supports for the game when extended or to engage the opposite sections when folded, as illustrated in Figure 2. The outer end of the section (i is provided with a recess 1l in which thc playing balls 12 are returned to the player, through the alleys 8, and the outer end of the section 5, which is the inner end of the alley, is provided with a recess 18, the sides and rear 14 and 15, respectively, of which are extended, as illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 5.

As is customary in a bowling game, ten

pins 16 are set at the inner end of the alley in a triangular arrangement, as illustrated in Figure l, and the game is played by rolling the balls 12 down the alley and the score is counted in the well known manner. In miniature games, it is a matter of great difficulty to properly and quickly set the pins in their positions and, in the accompanying drawings, is illustrated an improved pin setting device which I employ for this purpose.

The pin setting device comprises a plate member 17 which may or may not be of approximately triangular shape and has ten openings or pin receiving pockets 18 therein arranged 1n the order in which it is de- `s'ired to have the pins 16 placed at the inner end of the alley, the openings 18 being of a diameter slightly greater than the largest diameter of the pins.

As illustrated, a flange member 19 surrounds the setting member and extends below the lower face thereof, secured to the under-face of the member 17 is a pin holding member 20, in the form of a plate `having six openings 21 adapted to be aligned and partially disaligned with the openings 18, the inner edge 22 thereof being movable to partially close the rear-most openings 18. The member 20'is slidably mounted by fastening members 23 passed through elongated openings or slots 2-1 therein and the rear end portion thereof is slidably mounted between guide members 25 carried by the member 17 and extended thereover, the guide members 25 with the forward ends of the slots 2-1 providing means for regulating the movement over the openings 18 of the member 20.

The pin setting device is mounted from the rear wall 15 by two yoke-shapedmembers 26 and 27, respectively,` preferably constructed from bendable metal such as wire, or the like. The member 26 has its extreme ends .directed inwardly, as at 28, and pivotally engaged in the member 17 at a medial point preferably slightly to the rear of the center thereof and the yoke member 27 has its extreme ends directed inwardly, as at 29, and pivotally engaged in the flange 19 substantially 'on a vertical plane below the point the ends 28 of the member 26 are pivoted in the member 17.

The yoke member 26 has its closed end pivotally secured to the rear wall 15 adjacent the upper edge thereof by bearings 30 and the medial portion of the yoke is bent rearwardly and then inwardly to provide an operating vhandle 31 which extends through a slot or opening 32 in the rear wall 15. The yoke member 27 has its closed end journaled to the rear wall 15, as at 30', below the journal of the other yoke member, a distance substantially equal to that between the ends 28 and 29. With this construction, whenthe handle 31 is in its position illustrated in Figure 5, the in setting member will be in a osition to eposit the pins on the inner en of the alle as will be later described, and, as the andle is moved in the direction of the arrow, the pinv setting member passes through the dotted line positions illustrated in Figure 2, being maintained substantially horizontal until it nears its normal inactive position when the same is abruptly inclined downwardly and rearwardly to cause the plate 20 to shift to its rear-most limit of movement with its rear end 22 artially closing the four rear holes 18 and t 1e forward edge of the plate openings 21 partially closing the remaining openings 18.

The pin setting member is yieldably held in its normal inactive position by a contractile spring 33 connected to the closed end of the yoke member 27 and to the outer free end of the handle 31. In the pin setting member, as illustrated in Figure 3, the pins 16 are placed in the pockets 18 with the bottoms thereof preferably extending a short distance through the unobstructed portions thereof, being held therein by the plate 20. The handle 31 is then swung in a reverse direction to the arrow illustratedV in Figure 2 against the force of spring 33, which is extended as the pin setting member is lowered and, after its initial movement toward lowered position, the setting member assumes a true horizontal position parallel with the alley. As the setting member approaches its position of rest on the alley inner end, a cam or plate actuating member 34 shifts or slides the plate 20 forward, freeing the bottoms of the pockets and permitting the alley, as illustrated m Figure 5. The setting member is then raised by movement of the handle 31 in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2, the plate 20 being free of the openings 18 and disengaging the pins 16 110 leaves them properly arranged on the alley. The setting member is raised in a substantially horizontal position until it approaches its upward limit of movement, when itis abruptly inclined rearwardly to shift plate 20 over the pockets 18, as previously described.

The member 34, as illustrated in the drawings, ma be of substantially triangulai shape an pivoted at its extreme rear end, 19" as at 35, in a slot or recess 36 in the rear of the member 17. The under surface 37 of the member 34 is preferably arcuate and the outer end 38 thereof lis also arcuate and terminates in a plate receiving recess 39 with a projection or end 40 thereover to provide a stop for limiting the downward movement of the member 34 on its pivot.

With the pin setting member in its uppermost position, plate 2.0 partially closes the pins to drop onto the 105 e bottoms of the pockets 18, as described and it-s rear edge 22 engages in the 4recess 39 with stop 40 resting thereon. In the setting of the pms, the arcuate face 37 of the member 3l cams on the alley as the pin setting member nears its position of rest thereon, causing member 34 to move into the slot 3G, the surface 3S acting as a cam on the rear edge of plate 20 to move the same free of the pockets 18, as will be readily apparent.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily obvious to those skilled in the art to which an invention of this character appertains that I provide a `miniature ten pin or bowling game having an mexpenslve but efficient pin setting device. i

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A game of the character described, comprising a support, apin set-ting member, means connecting the pin setting member with the support whereby the same may be maintained in a substantially horizontal position as it is moved to and from the support, pin receiving pockets in the pin setting member adapted to receive therein pins to be positioned on the support, means for closing the pockets of the pin setting member` and means operable upon engagement with the support to move the pocket closing means free of the pockets.

2. A game of the character described, comprising' a support, a pin 4setting member, means connecting the pin setting member with the support whereby the same may be moved to and from the support, pin receiving pockets in the pin setting member in which pins to be positioned on the support are disposed, means for closing the pockets of the pin setting member, means ior tilting the pin setting member when itis moved from the support to position the poeketclosing means over the pockets, and

means operable to move the pocket closing means tree of the pockets.

3. A game of the character described, comprising a support, a pin setting member, means conecting` the pin setting member with the support whereby the same may be moved to and from a position on the support, pin receiving pockets in the setting member adapted to receive pins to be positioned thereon, means engageable with the support and eneageable over the bottoms of the pockets when t-he pin setting member is in itsraised position, means operable upon positioning of the pin setting member on the support to move said pocket closing means free of the pockets, and means yieldably urging the pin setting member to its position oit the support.

4. A game of the character described, comprising a playing alley, a pair of yoke members ot substantially equal lengths. means pivotally securing the closed ends of the yoke members to the rear of the alley in spaced relation, a pin setting member, means pivotally connecting the outer ends of the and means operable upon lowering o the pin setting member onto the alley to release pins in the-pockets and position them on the alley.

5. A game of the character described, comprising a playing alley, a pair of yoke members of. substantially equal lengths, means pivotally securing the closed ends ol the yoke member to the rear of the alley in spaced relation, a pin setting member, means pivotally connecting the outer ends of the yoke members with the pin setting member spaced a disance substantially equal to that between the closed ends thereof, a handle member struck laterally from the closed end of one yoke member to provide means for raising and lowering the setting mean1 ber, pin receiving pockets in the pin settinji member adapted to receive playing pins, and

means operable upon lowering of the pin setting member onto the alley to release the pins in the pockets and position them on the alley.

G. A game of the character described, comprising a playing alley, a pair of yoke members of substantially eqi1alf"'lengtl1s means pivotally securing the closed end of the yoke member to the rear of the alley in spaced relation, a pin setting member, means pivotally connecting the outer ends ot the yoke members with the pin setting member spaced a distance substantially equal to that between the closed ends thereof, a handle member struck laterally from the closed end of one yoke member to provide means for raising and lowering the setting member, a contractile spring having one end connected with the outer end ot' said handle and its other end connected with the closed end of the other yoke member to normally yieldably retainthe setting member in raised position, pin receiving pockets in the pin setting member adapted to receive playing pins, and means operable upon lowering of the pin setting member onto the alley to release pins in the pockets and position them on the alley.

7 In a game of the character described, a pin setting member, comprising a pin carrying base having a plurality of apertures therein arranged in the order in which pins are to be placed for playing, a plate slidably lil?) mounted on the under surface of the base and freely movable to partially obstruct the bottom of the pin receiving openings, and a cam member actuated upon'lowering of the base to lower-most position to move said plate free of the pin receiving openings and permit the setting of the pins positioned4 therein.

8. In a gaine of the character described, a in setting member, comprising a pin carrying base having a plurality of apertures therein arranged in the order in which pins are Ito be placed for playing, a plate slidto and from its raised and lowered positions;

in a substantially horizontal position until it nears its upper-most position when the same is sharply inclined to cause movement.

of the plate member to its position over the openings.

9. A pin setting member of the character desciibed, comprising an apertured base, a plate member slidably mounted onthe under surface of the base and movable to and from -a position obstructing the openings therein, a cam member of substantially triangular shape, means pivotally securing the cam member at one apex to the base with its outer end engageable with the inner edge of the slidably mounted plate whereby movement of the cam member in one direction on its pivot causes the plate member to be shifted to a position free of the openings in the base, a playing alley, and means mounting the setting member for movement onto the playing alley, the lower face of the cam member normally extending beneath the base and engagingthe alley as the setting member is lowered to cause the outer end of the cam to move the plate free of the openings in the base and deposit the pins positioned therein on the alley.

10. A pin setting'member of the charac- 4ter described, comprising an apertured base,

the setting member for movementl onto the playing alley, the lower face or the cam member normally extending beneath the base .and engaging the alley as the setting member is low-ered to cause the outer end of the cam to move the plate free of the openings in the base and deposit the pins positioned therein on the alley, and means limit- 1lng the pivotal movement of the cam mem- 11. A game of the class described comprising a board, a pin setting member pivoted thereto and adapted to be moved to and from said board, pin receiving pockets in said member, a plate slidable with respect to said member and adapted to partially close the `pockets the-rein, and means carriedby said pin setting member and operable upon engagement with said board to move the -plate free of the pockets when depositing the pins upon said board..

12. A game of the class described comprising a board, a pin setting member pivoted thereto and adapted to be moved to and from said boa-rd, said pin setting member moving throughout its major portion of movement in substantially parallel relation to said board and during its lesser movement at an angle thereto, pin receiving pockets in said member, a plate slidable with respect to said member andl adapted to move by gravity during the lesser movement of said member to partially close the pockets, and means ciarried by said pin setting meinber and operable upon engagement with said board to move the plate free of the pockets when depositing. the pins upon said board.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

DANIEL FISHER. 

